Dark Mofo 2019

Australia's most sinister festival, Dark Mofo, is back for its seventh year — and it's set to be as boundary-pushing as ever. As always, the festival will take place in the lead up to the winter solstice, exploring connections between old and contemporary mythology through art installations, performance, talks and music — all taking place in the darkness of Tasmanian winter.

Hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Dark Mofo will takeover most of Hobart between June 6–23, showcasing a melting pot of artists, creatives and thinkers who dwell in the shadows of mainstream culture.

Just-announced musicians include FKA Twigs — who's also bringing her experimental dream pop to Vivid Sydney this year — New York-based composer Nicolás Jaar, American singer John Grant and multi-instrumentalist Roger Eno.

Other highlights of the music program include an audiovisual 'soundbath' by Sigur Rós; an international metal program, featuring Brazil's Mystifier; and the return of Night Mass, a ritualistic series of multi-venue late-night parties featuring Sampa the Great, FAKA and Empress Of.

These musicians and creatives join those announced in the first lineup drop last week, which included boundary-pushing speakers in the Dark + Dangerous Thoughts program, artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, and singer and actor Sharon Van Etten.

The festival's dark and quirky arts lineup has grown, too, with the addition of a latex-filled installation and performance by Japan's Saeborg and an immersive group exhibition — of ten international artists, including Canada's Cassils, USA's Paul McCarthy and India's Shilpa Gupta — inside the former Forestry Tasmania Building.

The award-winning building — which once housed its own forest — is just one of many new venues to join this year's program. Come June, revellers will also be able to party inside the Old Hobart Blood Bank, the Avalon and Odeon theatres, the Old Davey St Congregational Church and aboard a floating natural wine bar, dubbed Natty Waves.

Of course, all the festival favourites are set to make a triumphant return, too. You'll be able to drink and eat amongst inverted crosses and candles at the Winter Feast, try not to freeze during the very cold Nude Solstice Swim and absolve your sins at Night Mass.